Abstract [en]

The purpose of this study is to better understand, from a foster parent perspective, how the integration process of the foster child is carried out in the foster family. The purpose is to identify the challenges and success factors in the process. The study is based on a qualitative method. The data consist of interviews with six foster families. The study’s theoretical framework is mostly based on system theory and also on the theory of ambivalence.

The results show that most of our families considered five factors to be important in order to facilitate the integration process. The foster family needs to bond with the foster child, let the foster child in into the family system, open up and be who they really are, respect each other and reserve time to be able to satisfy the needs of foster child. The results emphasize that the foster parents should treat the foster child in the same way as the biological child. We have also been able to identify factors that may have an impact on integration, like the age of the foster child.

Our results suggest that foster parents experience different varieties of ambivalence to both the foster child and the foster child's biological parents. Those children who have a poor relationship with their biological parents and are of relatively young age tend to be over-integrated in the foster family.